Sarah Tanaka joins ATC as type design apprentice

Avondale Type Co. is excited to welcome our new Design Apprentice Sarah Tanaka to the team. Sarah is a senior at the University of Georgia, double majoring in graphic design and advertising, with a minor in design and media. Sarah will be working with Avondale Type Co., as well as assisting BBG with design and web.

Learn more about Sarah at her website → sarahtanaka.com

What do you hope to learn while working with ATC?

I hope to learn more about the nitty-gritty details of type design. I’m particularly interested in the process from start to finish, and am excited to learn more about how ATC typefaces came to be.

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What about typography is interesting to you?

I have been very interested in using type as shapes and pushing the boundaries. I like to experiment with just how far I can go while still accomplishing the goal of communicating what I want the design to say.

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Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in everyday life, especially through nature and the seemingly mundane objects we interact with in our daily lives. I enjoy analyzing the relationship of one thing to another and finding patterns out in the wild.

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What type foundry has been on your radar recently?

Oh No Type Company. Their typefaces are so versatile and there is such a wide range. Their type specimens are also very successful in showcasing the unique qualities of each typeface while simultaneously portraying the brand’s personality.

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What has been your favorite type-focused project you have worked on?

My graphic design cohort in school created a class cookbook in our advanced typography class. I of course chose tallarines verdes (Peruvian green noodles) with chicken supremas, one of my favorite childhood meals. With this project we got to really mess around with pushing the boundaries of type, and it was so fun to see it all put together.

When did you first know you were interested in design and type?

When I was younger, I kept a bullet journal. It was a space for me to experiment and play around with all kinds of lettering styles, though I didn’t know what that was at the time. My mom would also always ask me to make name cards for holiday dinners, so it was me and my brush pen against the world.

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